Bilcik: Election Problems in Serbia Cannot Be Solved in EU Institutions

Vladimir Bilcik (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC/DS)

The problems with elections in Serbia cannot be solved in the institutions of the European Union, Vladimir Bilcik, the European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, has said, voicing the hope that the country would begin "constituting its own institutions."

Speaking with the European Western Balkans portal, Bilcik said "the investigations which have begun, the court cases which have been filed, and the full fledged assessment, including the final OSCE/ODIHR report have to be the basis for a resolution of any problems, any allegations, any questions in relation to what happened  [during the elections of Dec. 17, 2023] ... and what has been happening since then."

"And again, the institutional solutions to these questions have to be done within Serbia. If the institutions in their current state are not delivering, then they have to be reformed and changed. I will give you just one example -- [the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media]. As an international observer, I was really disappointed when nobody from [the Authority] met with us when we discussed the campaign and the media situation in Serbia in the run up to elections," Bilcik said.

He said any complaints and challenges related to the election process in Serbia had to be resolved through the appropriate institutional channels and that courts and other institutions must address them.

"The members of the Serbian Parliament should take up their mandates and the government should be formed," Bilcik said, adding that the results of the local vote in Belgrade had been "closer" and that it was "important that the challenge to the Constitutional Court is dealt with duly."

Asked to comment on "anti-European rhetoric" from state officials and pro-regime media outlets, Bilcik said that "Serbia deserves better," that the country "deserves a European future and politicians who can deliver on this and can genuinely work on a European future."